Surrender
by LiquidCaliban
Summary: Civil War fix-fic in which Sharon is not a robo-girl, but not exactly right for Steve either, because Romanogers.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own, not for profit, doesn't even have a Stan Lee cameo.

Spoilers: Civil War, like whoa. Spoiled like chunky milk.

Pairing: Steve/Sharon, with Steve pining after a) what could have been with Peggy and b) Natasha, because Natasha.

Summary: Sharon gets thoughtful about how she's clearly not the one who's supposed to be with Steve. I suppose you could call it a Romanogers fix-fic after the 'ship fiasco in CW, but with Sharon treated respectfully as the human pawn/substitute she is rather than unceremoniously tossed under the speeding bus from the movie where the bus had to go a certain speed and it would explode if it went under that speed (I think it was called 'The Bus that Couldn't Slow Down.').

* * *

Sharon first started to think that maybe this relationship wasn't going to be what she wanted when Steve turned down sex with a lame excuse for the third time. He hadn't said he wasn't ready or that he wasn't sure or even that he wanted to wait because he was old-fashioned – she could have accepted any of those, potentially indefinitely. He had said he was _tired_. Captain America, who had run a half-marathon through the woods that morning and sparred with the team on the lawn all afternoon, was too tired for sex at the end of the day.

The funny thing was, she would have accepted that, too, if he weren't currently carrying out a 'training exercise' involving the Avenger version of hide and seek free-for-all in the thick birch and pine forest surrounding their lakeside Swedish safe house. She still wasn't entirely clear on how the extremely private estate had been obtained so quickly after the German airport snafu, but she hadn't pushed for information. She was glad to have somewhere safe to stay after the CIA had first fired then grudgingly reinstated but suspended her (with pay) after Zemo's capture by King T'Challa. Although they couldn't know she was sort-of intimate with Steve, they knew she had smuggled his and Sam's gear off the base. She was under investigation for that incident, subject to change pending the outcome of the larger Avengers' Review. If she did return to the Company, it would be on a probationary basis and she would probably have to endure a lot of questions and personal surveillance.

In the meantime, she was almost enjoying a well-deserved vacation. Any other woman would be thrilled to be staying in what amounted to a very isolated ben and breakfast with her boyfriend, even if they had been sleeping in separate rooms since arriving and hadn't shared more than a hug and a peck on the lips since… oh. She pressed a glass against the lever of the icemaker, then nearly overfilled it with water.

She settled onto the porch swing with her glass of cold water and looked out over the clean landscape. Thinking back, it was more obvious. Steve had brought her here first not because she was his first priority, but because she was the easiest to get to. They had made out a few times while he planned the mass breakout of Sam, Clint, Scott and Wanda from prison. She had assumed his ensuing withdrawal had been related to privacy or embarrassment, but once he had found out that Black Widow had been separately incarcerated, he had been a little obsessed over her rescue. Learning the whole story, Sharon had decided it was guilt, but she wasn't so sure anymore.

She should have known from the moment he'd walked through the door with Black Widow in his arms that it was all over. Steve, Sam and Clint had handled that mission. From what she had been told or overheard, enhanced interrogation techniques had been employed, albeit unsuccessfully. Sharon shook her head to clear the CIA euphemism. It was torture. Black Widow – _Natasha_ – had been tortured for several weeks without breaking. Hell, this was probably her property. Who else would have such a nice setup in a neutral country?

As Sharon continued to reflect on her situation, she made out a figure approaching the rear of the house. Clint waved as he jogged toward her. When he got closer she was able to make out the reason for the periodic flashes at his side. "You were out collecting lightning bugs during training?"

"Nah, found him on my way back and decided to bring him along." He shook the jar, causing a small figure at the bottom to fall over and shake a fist. "Think I should let him out?"

"Is that…?"

"Uh huh. I thought it was pretty clever." Clint unscrewed the lid from the jar and reached into it after the lightning bugs had flown off, pinching Scott carefully between two fingers.

As soon as he'd been set down, Scott grew to his normal size and tore off his helmet. "What kind of secret powers is she using? I'm six freaking inches tall in a giant forest and not only does she find me, but she's got a jar of fireflies all ready to go! Who carries a jar?"

"Same kind of person who blowgunned me with the codes to access a secure satellite linkup." Clint pointed to the tranquilizer-style dart still pinning a piece of paper to his thick vest. "Any calls you wanna make, Lang? Or would you rather explain why you didn't just grow and bust out of the jar?"

"Didn't want to hurt the fireflies." Scott's annoyance transformed to interest immediately. "Serious about the link?"

"Three codes for three separate devices, good for the next two hours," he replied, tearing the paper in three strips, one of which Scott immediately grabbed as he ran into the house. Clint was outwardly calmer, though he was probably even more eager to speak to his family. He held up the third code. "Sharon? You need to contact anyone?"

"Nope, but I'll give it to the next person who does."

"Eh, just tell Sam it's on his bureau."

"Right." She gave him a sad smile before he walked away. Of the four people still out in the woods, Sam was the only one who would want to make personal calls. She checked the app connected to her secure phone to ensure that they were all still in the game. The blue and red dots were steady, but the darker red and silver dots were blinking. A soft beep accompanied their going dark a moment later. Sharon settled in to wait for Wanda and Sam's reappearance, while Steve and Natasha continued hunting each other. Was it really that surprising when she considered it? After all, Natasha had been the one to go on the run with Steve in order to expose SHIELD as a Hydra front.

She was still contemplating Steve and Natasha's relationship when she heard Wanda and Sam coming around the side of the house.

"I should have stayed in the woods and waited."

"That's cheating, Wanda."

"She betrayed us."

"Because she was trying to do what was right. Nat didn't exactly have anyone to teach her right from wrong, so she may not get it perfect all the time, but… Don't forget she was the one who helped Steve and Bucky get away."

"And we are all fugitives. Are you suggesting I trust her because she betrayed _everyone_ and not just us?"

"Just…whatever."

Before he could walk away, Sharon called out, "Sam, there's a security code in your room if you want to make any personal calls!"

"Thanks!" She heard a door slam somewhere in the distance after his heavy steps had receded.

She settled back into her seat and took a sip of water. She was about to check the progress of the game when the seat across from her creaked and she jumped. "Wanda, I didn't realize you were still…"

"If you are in love with Steve, you need to make him choose."

"Excuse me?"

"Make him choose, once and for all." Wanda leaned forward, her eyes glowing red for a moment with intensity. "He will not choose you, and I am sorry for that, but at least…I value Steve as a friend and I wish for him to be happy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do not pretend to be stupid. You want him, he wants her, she wants him. Simple math." Wanda stood and pulled open the back door. "Men often make poor choices. It is something we must accept." She disappeared without another word.

Sharon stood and finished her water. Setting down the glass, she stepped off the porch and began a walk along the shore of the lake. Although it was past ten, the long summer days at this latitude meant it was still light. She'd walked about a third of the rough circumference when she spotted them. Their backs were to her as she spotted them, sitting side by side on a ledge overlooking the short waterfall flowing from one of the creeks into the lake. Over the soft sounds of birds and insects, she heard him say, "I should have taken you with us."

"Leaving no one to hold back T'Challa. Plus, Bucky probably would have shot me during the flight, just out of habit."

"Nat…" Sharon dug her fingernails into the bark of the tree she'd been leaning against as Steve leaned in. He didn't hesitate the way he usually did when he kissed her. There was something inevitable, gravitational about the action, as if the universe paused for a moment to make sure it was happening.

"Stop." Natasha was pulling back, hand still cupping his cheek. "You need to handle things with Sharon before we do this."

"I will. I don't want to hurt her, but…Nat, I…"

Sharon was careful to be quiet until she was confident she was far enough away to start a sprint back to the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve heard the monitor on his wrist beep to indicate that someone else had conceded their training exercise, which was odd because at last check, he and Natasha had been the only two still competing. He glanced around the clearing from the safety of cover before stepping out. A moment later, he spun back, raising the shield T'Challa had presented him in thanks for Steve's role in apprehending his father's killer.

Natasha held up her hands innocently from her perch on a tree branch ten feet off the ground, though the gesture caused the sleeves on her hoodie to drop just enough to reveal a few tricks strapped to her wrists. "Why do you get to carry your shield but my Widow's Bites are off-limits?"

"We agreed on defensive weapons only."

He watched as she jumped to the ground with the slightest stumble on impact. She acted like nothing had happened and started brushing pine needles from her jeans. "Just because you can't handle a little shock…"

"Nat…"

"I didn't zap you when it mattered, why would I do it now?"

"Because you have an unusual sense of humor? Besides, I get more nervous when you're not in your catsuit because I have no idea where you're hiding your weapons."

"Like you know where I keep everything in my catsuit."

"Truce?" Steve held out his hand and, to his surprise, she took it. Rather than let go, he held on and led her down the path to the rocky ledge overhanging the small waterfall on her Swedish property. She had given him the GPS coordinates just before the fall of SHIELD, in case he needed a place to hide out. He hadn't thought about it until after leaving Bucky safe in Wakanda, but Sharon had agreed it seemed like a good choice when he'd contacted her before freeing the other Avengers from the Raft. There was a clearing and a barn for hiding their quinjet in addition to a house with more bedrooms than he cared to count. He hadn't asked her how she had acquired it and she hadn't volunteered any information. He was just thankful they had a safe place to stay.

She sat on the ledge, legs hanging over the water flowing beneath. He joined her after placing his shield in the grass beside the creek. He turned off his monitor after a moment. "Guess we won't have a winner tonight."

"What are you talking about? I gave up ten minutes ago."

"Because you were bored, right?"

"Well…I followed your for nearly an hour and you never even looked up."

He filed the tactic away for future reference and stopped himself from saying he hadn't realized she was healed enough to climb trees with impunity. "Sorry I'm not a more challenging target."

"Oh, you're plenty challenging." She picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the lake. He lost count of how many bounces it took. It was hard to believe she'd been a battered wreck just a few weeks ago, having endured interrogation and torture for his sake. On the few occasions he'd tried to talk to her, to thank her, she had waved him off, turning it around and thanking him. He wanted to ask her how she was really doing, but wasn't sure he could handle her sad smile and shrug at the moment, so he remained silent as she continued to skip stones. He was about to say something when she asked, "So, what's up with you and Sharon?"

"What?" The abruptness of the question caught him off guard and he had to think for a moment to remember that he was in a relationship with Sharon. "Oh…um…"

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I just thought you'd be…happier. Or something." The next stone simply plopped into the water. "Most guys are pretty happy when they're getting laid."

"We…we're not…it's not…" he stammered. This was definitely not the conversation he wanted to be having at the moment. He was unable to stop himself from sputtering further under Natasha's calm gaze, "That's…it's just…she wants…she wants to…you know."

"Fuck your brains out?"

He could almost hear himself blushing at Natasha's question. "W-w-well, I wouldn't say _that_ , but, yes. She wants to…have sex."

"You say potato, I say hump like rabbits on cocaine. It amounts to the same." There was another series of splashes as she skipped another stone across the surface of the water. "So what's stopping you?"

"Me?"

"You said she wants to and you haven't done it and you're telling _me_ about it, so spill. Is it performance anxiety? Lack of experience? Charmingly antiquated notions about the act of love?"

"Love," he repeated with a heavy sigh. "That's the problem."

"You're gonna have to be a lot clearer."

"How?"

"Love and sex…I won't pretend I understand the connection personally, but I know it exists. You clearly believe in it. You're the kind of guy who won't abide one without the other so…again, what's the problem?"

"It's not a _problem_."

"Steve, stop making this overcomplicated and figure out if you love her."

"I care about her and I don't want to hurt her and…"

"You're not in love."

He tried to slow the conversation down. "Well, I am."

"Problem solved!"

"Just not with Sharon," he prompted.

"Is this some kind of transference where you took your unresolved feelings for Peggy and assigned them to Sharon because, in a stunning plot twist, you're just as psychologically warped as the rest of us?"

"Maybe? I mean, I think I understood that in words but…I know I'm never going to be with Peggy so, I'm not sure why she's involved. I know she's gone and we won't ever have what we might have had. We were never going to."

"Then you're still grieving and Sharon's helping you get through it?"

He flashed back to the church after the funeral, Natasha holding him so he wouldn't have to be alone. "I wouldn't say that."

She suddenly smacked her forehead with her hand. "Wait, are you in love with Bucky? Because that would explain so much."

"I'm in love with Buck like you're in love with Clint." His chuckle turned to alarm after a moment. "Wait a minute, what would that explain?"

"You're _sure_ you aren't in love with Bucky? Because we would all support…"

"Damn it, Natasha, can you drop the Bucky thing? He's my best friend and if I hadn't gotten him killed…or not killed back in '45 he would never have become the Winter Soldier and…" He shook his head sadly. That guilt wasn't going to be disappearing any time soon. "I was trying to tell you about why Sharon isn't…why…"

"You're actually doing your best not to tell me anything, but I'll overlook that since you used a bad word."

"This isn't funny. When I found out you'd been arrested and then…later…"

There it was – the sad smile and the shrug. "It wasn't your fault. I made my choices and I can't change anything I did."

"I should have taken you with us."

"Leaving no one to hold back T'Challa. Plus, Bucky probably would have shot me during the flight, just out of habit."

"Nat…" He felt like he was falling as he leaned into the kiss. It was so different than the last time, not pressured or performed, but real. He could have stayed where he was forever, but she pulled back.

"Stop. You need to handle things with Sharon before we do this."

He felt encouraged by the fact that she had ordered him to end the façade with Sharon rather than immediately killing him, though he was also this probably wasn't a marker of a healthy relationship. "I will. I don't want to hurt her, Nat, but I…I love you. I have for so long and I shouldn't have wasted so much time…"

"Just go. Talk to her and I'll see you back at the house."

He couldn't leave her on that statement. He leaned in for another kiss and found he was welcomed and happy and…he stammered, "I…I wouldn't have let Bucky shoot you. I would have taken that bullet for you."

" _Go_."

"Going." He looked over his shoulder once as he ran towards the house and smiled when he saw her looking back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sharon sat on the porch, trying to pretend the past half hour had never happened. She had gone from dating Captain America to spying on him kissing a spy, then back to her seat to pretend she hadn't seen a thing. She was even sipping from a fresh glass of water. The sounds of a movie drifted through the screen door, inviting her inside, but she stayed where she was, watching the breeze make ripples on the lake in the waning daylight. She had read the day could stretch to over twenty hours at this latitude in the high summer; how cliché that the sun was setting at this moment.

She casually drank her water as Steve appeared at the tree line, sprinting toward the house. Was he that eager to end things with her, or was he just…he was always exerting himself. The ultimate soldier and athlete probably treated lovemaking as a cardio workout. Okay, that was a lie even Sharon couldn't tell herself; a man like Steve was too considerate to… Why even think about it? She was never going to have the opportunity to find out, just like Aunt Peggy. She would spend her life holding onto an impossible dream underneath false happiness and… Sharon caught herself on the porch railing as she stood. Had Aunt Peggy really been faking all those years? She found it hard to believe. The conviction gave her confidence as she greeted Steve with a kiss on the cheek. "Sit. I got you a glass of water."

"Oh." He seemed confused by the glasses set on the table between the two chairs for a moment. "Thanks."

"Well…you've been out in the woods, working hard. Training."

"Not so hard." He drank the water down in a series of long gulps. He covered his mouth to conceal a burp. It was hard to find him unattractive even when doing unattractive things. He set his empty glass on the table. "I…uh…I think we need to talk."

"Hm."

"We…I never meant to make you think…maybe I should just be honest."

"I never thought you were anything but honest."

He sighed heavily. "It's hard to be honest with everybody when you aren't even being honest with yourself. But none of that is your fault. That's all on me."

Now that it had started, Sharon found it easier to accept the end. "You don't want to be in a relationship with me. You want to explain. So, explain."

Steve tried to take another drink from his empty glass, awkwardly setting it down when the gesture failed to buy him any time; it was surprisingly adorable to watch him being awkward. "I..I never meant to hurt you. The first time we kissed, it was right after Peggy's funeral and you had risked your career, your life to help me and Sam and Bucky and…at the time, it seemed right. What you said at the service, it was…"

"I spoke from my heart."

"I know. You sounded like her. You…you reminded me of her and when you met us, you reminded me so much of her that I…I made a bad…no, I made the wrong decision. And I didn't realize it until…"

"Until now." Sharon bit her tongue, not wanting to reveal that she had been watching him with Natasha. "I'm not my Aunt Peggy, and, despite my aspirations to be _like_ her, I would never take it so far as to date the same man."

He was silent for so long that she was about to suggest a refill on water when he said, "We…we never even had a date. A real date. We were supposed to go dancing."

"She told me. Captain America's the guy she made a date with at the Stork Club while he saved the world." She watched him clench his jaw a few times before adding, "She was happy, you know. With Uncle Dan. They had a good life."

"I know. I saw the pictures." He rolled the glass between his big hands. "They never had kids."

"They were okay with that. I think they liked being able to give us back at the end of the weekend or week of irresponsibility. They were great. I have so many memories of them, of her. She was…amazing."

"Amazing. Yeah. She was."

"She was." Sharon waited a moment. It was weird to be involved with a man who could, under other circumstances, have been her Uncle Steve. Even if those circumstances had never happened and she had a chance to…no. He wasn't the kind of man to divide his heart. "So, I know I'm not my Aunt Peggy and I know you don't mean that as an insult."

"I…yeah. She was one in a million."

"You need to realign your parameters."

"I know, I know. It's a billion or a trillion, now. But the sentiment stands. I can't imagine anyone like Peggy…and I'm sorry for trying to fit you into her mold."

"I'd be insulted if it weren't such a great mold."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Well, I suppose you want to know who broke it."

"It's not my business." She waited a beat before adding, "Although it's not hard to guess."

"Not a lot of options in Nowhereberg, Sweden," he admitted. "I don't suppose it would make you feel better if I told you I love her."

"I think that's been pretty obvious since you came back from the Raft without her, but…I'm happy you've found someone to love, if she loves you just as much."

Sharon didn't wait for a reply, but took both glasses into the house to put them in the dishwasher. She sat down beside Wanda, who was watching a horror movie. After a few minutes of mindless gore, she asked, "Anything good?"

"Never is."

"Why do you watch these?"

"Period dramas are boring. At least these movies make you jump sometimes."

Sharon glanced toward the porch, though it had grown too dark to see outside. "Good point." She maintained her focus on the television when the backdoor closed a few minutes later, not checking on whether Steve had come in alone or not.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve wondered why his life was simultaneously so complicated and so simple. In spite of being an international fugitive with a best friend in indefinite stasis, he was sitting on the back porch of a beautiful home in Sweden, looking out over their private lake after painlessly ending his quasi-relationship with Sharon. It hadn't been as bad as he'd expected. He'd never broken up with anyone before, but, based on the stories he'd heard from friends, he had just experienced the best case scenario. Sharon understood that he'd made a mistake and that he still respected her and valued her as a friend. It sounded so cliché when he thought about it, but it really was for the best.

The guilt lasted until he saw Natasha emerge from the trees at a casual jog. He could see the stiffness in her gait, a result of the injuries she had sustained under Ross' torture. He wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself for allowing her to be incarcerated for so long, not that she held him responsible. That somehow made it worse. He met her halfway across the lawn, sweeping her into an embrace she returned somewhat weakly.

Her green eyes caught the waning sunlight as he set her down. "I take it you ruined your life, then?"

"What? How?"

"You ended it with Sharon."

"Yes. I said I was going to and…is that not what you wanted? I thought we…?"

"I should have known you wouldn't make the smart choice," she interrupted, pulling him down into a kiss. He returned it the best way he knew how, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her into an embrace.

"I love you."

"You don't. You just…"

"I do. I love you."

"Well…you shouldn't."

"Nat, a few minutes ago you told me I needed to end things we Sharon if we were going to move forward. Did you think I wouldn't do it?"

"I thought you needed a push." She wouldn't look at him. "You needed to end it before you got in too deep and broke her heart."

"Then you…you manipulated me into breaking up with her?"

"No!" He gaze was defiant, though he hadn't meant it to sound like an accusation. "I mean, I don't think you two should be together but…I wish you hadn't done it for _me_."

"I would do anything for you. I love you. You know that. If you don't feel the same," he ran a hand through her silky hair, "say it."

"Steve…"

"Tell me you don't love me."

"It doesn't matter how I feel!"

He nuzzled her neck. "It matters to me."

"Don't make this harder, Steve. Maybe Sharon wasn't the right one, but you should be with…with someone who…someone who's good. Someone more like you."

"I should be with the woman I love. You." He sought her lips again and wasn't disappointed. Natasha's kiss was passionate, needy. He held her tightly, feeling her arms tighten around him. "Let's go upstairs."

"Steve…"

"We'll talk."

"Of course we will."

A few short minutes later, after they'd both showered and changed, she was under his covers in pajama pants and a tank top. He was careful to maintain his position on top of the covers for the moment, though he wished his pajamas weren't feeling so constricting. "You…I…"

"Shh." She was suddenly pressed against him in a full body embrace. The kiss was anything but chaste. He hoped she couldn't feel his excitement through the thick bedspread.

He was reluctant to pull back, but felt he had to take control before it was totally lost. "Natasha…"

"Mmm. I can tell you've been practicing."

He almost forgot that he was trying to press pause when she licked his lips. "I thought we were going to talk."

"Don't tell me you took a cold shower."

"Maybe I should have." He moved away from her ever so slightly, again wishing he'd picked looser pajama pants. "I won't rush this if you're not ready."

"I…I don't understand."

"I love you. I want to make love to you. If you need time to figure out how you feel or even just to tell me how you feel, I'm willing to wait."

"Steve," she whispered, staring into his eyes. He had to blink before drowning in green. She was nuzzling his neck a moment later. "I want you. I need you. You're the best part of my life. I just don't know if I can give you what you're asking for."

"Like I said, I'll wait until you figure it out."

"You shouldn't. You've already waited for so long…"

"Then what's a little longer?" He tilted her chin upwards, pecking her lips before saying, "And I know you're capable of love. Don't forget, I've seen Auntie Nat in action."

"That's different." She finally smiled, though it was short-lived. "I thought I'd have time to move Laura and the kids to a safe house before they picked me up, but…" Her breath hitched for just a moment. "Nick is taking care of them, so there's no need to worry. I just know how hard it is for Clint. Well, I don't _know_ , exactly, but it's killing him not to be home. He wouldn't even be here if I hadn't screwed up to begin with and chosen to side with the government. When has any government ever _not_ failed me?"

"It's okay, Nat."

"I thought you were always honest."

He grinned. "I said it's okay, not that it's great."

"Touché." She rolled onto her back. "Your bed is comfortable."

"Isn't it the same as yours?"

"Smells better." She reached out and switched off the lamp on her side of the bed. "Are you planning to sleep on top of the covers?"

"Um…" He decided not to ask the obvious question, because she was clearly intending to spend the night. "What happens if I am?"

"You'll get cold and probably be grumpy in the morning, while I stay warm and get a good night's sleep."

"Then we're just sleeping? Together? I mean, not sleeping together, but…technically…"

"Get under the covers and turn out the light, Rogers."

"Yes, Ma'am," he murmured.

When he woke the next morning, she was comfortably nestled against his side. His arm had found its way around her shoulders. He hoped she would feel how right it was when she opened her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Although it was difficult, Sharon held her head high over the next few weeks as she watched Steve and Natasha get closer. She had come close to confronting them after one ill-advised night of drinking aquavit with Wanda, but her hangover had proved more influential than her self-destructive impulses. Steve was obviously happier with Natasha and Natasha was…impossible to read, but, if Sharon had to guess, also happier. It had taken some time, but it was obvious to everyone that they'd slept together. Even if Steve's newly self-assured persona hadn't proven it, the fact that he'd been unconsciously strutting down from Natasha's room on the third floor for at least the past week had been a solid confirmation. They were neither flaunting nor hiding it, which Sharon could accept, if not embrace.

She sat at the island in the kitchen eating a bowl of Swedish Captain Crunch one morning when Natasha appeared at the hallway door, moving with purpose toward the professional-grade espresso machine on the counter. She performed the necessary actions to produce a double shot before saying, "I just talked to Fury on the satellite link."

Sharon nodded, as it seemed like a fairly straightforward statement that had nothing to do with her.

Natasha stared at her for a moment before continuing against the hiss of the espresso machine, "He'd like to speak with you."

"Oh!" Sharon jumped from her seat as if shocked. The last time she'd spoken with Director Fury, he'd ordered her to assume a persona as Steve's neighbor. "Um, okay?"

"In the den, at the end of the hall."

"Right." She turned after a moment to pick up her coffee cup. Although she had no idea what time it was where Nick Fury was, she had no doubt he knew it was morning where she was. She pulled her robe tighter around her body as she sat down behind the desk in the room Natasha had indicated, heavy on the wood trim and décor. In spite of the fact that she was still in her pajamas, she felt surprisingly secure as she presented her best professional smile for the screen. "Director Fury."

"Either you're as wrapped up in the past as some other agents I know or you're woefully uninformed, Agent Carter. I'm no longer the director of anything."

"Sorry, sir."

"You don't have to call me…" He sighed. There was a long pause before he said, "Agent Carter. The CIA is very annoyed with their inability to locate you. I can't tell you how satisfying it was to have the Director call me for assistance."

"Well, I…"

"I'm not sure how much longer this link will be secure, so let me just say that your suspension has been lifted and the Company wants you back at the Berlin office ASAP. I don't want to know where you are or what it will take to get you there, but if you plan on going back, you need to let Agent Ross know ASAP and get there in the next thirty-six hours."

"Can I trust them?"

"Much as you ever could. They know you've got powerful friends, so I wouldn't worry about them disappearing you or anything like that. Probably more like they're gonna kill you with kindness to get you to roll on Rogers."

"No worry there."

"Wouldn't have 'found' you if I thought there was Carter."

She made a point to take a long, fake sip from her coffee cup. "Thank you, sir."

"For the record, I'm sorry the SHIELD pension didn't work out."

"What record?"

"Heh. Get in touch with Berlin either way."

"Either way?"

"Might be something coming down the pike for a person of your skills that I also happen to trust. If you're interested."

"I'll wait patiently to hear from you, sir."

"Good." She wasn't sure, but she was fairly sure Fury had smirked as he signed off. She allowed her own long sigh to slip out as she leaned back in the chair. So, this was it. She'd ended her relationship with Steve and now she was committing to the only job in the world that could still keep her somewhat close to him. She was going to have to rethink her resignation from the CIA.

When she arrived back in the kitchen, Natasha was still at the espresso machine. She quirked an eyebrow in Sharon's direction. "Let me guess – pumpkin latte?"

"Triple espresso, if you're not busy." She glanced toward the living room, where Clint and Scott were arguing about something trivial, no doubt. To her surprise, the coffee was suddenly placed in front of her. She looked up at Natasha. "Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She casually sat at the stool across the counter. "So…are you staying or going?"

Sharon eyed the coffee cup more warily. "The CIA has reinstated me, but I'm not feeling great about going back."

"Always trust your gut."

"You're not eager to be rid of me?"

"Why would I be?"

"Good point," Sharon muttered. Steve had made his choice and Sharon wasn't a threat. She took a sip of the espresso, deciding that there was no reason Natasha would have poisoned it. On second thought, it could contain a caffeine overdose. "Whoa. This is strong."

Natasha didn't smile, but looked at her seriously. "I'm not sorry about the way everything turned out, but I am sorry that you got hurt. I never expected…"

"You really don't have to…"

"I do. I'm trying to fix things with…look, Wanda still hates my guts and I know you two are friends and you have just as much if not more reason to…"

"No, really." Sharon found it easier to be magnanimous because it actually seemed to _matter_ to Natasha that she be on good terms with everyone – not something Sharon would have expected from her previous experience with and the reputation of the Black Widow. "Am I a little disappointed that it didn't work out between me and Steve? Sure. But I don't want to be anybody's second choice. It's better for everybody this way. Besides, Wanda doesn't hate you."

"She'll be glad you aren't abandoning her with me, at any rate."

"Well…"

"I don't know when Fury's project is going to get off the ground. Or under it, or wherever he's setting it up. You can never tell with him."

Sharon nodded. "So you know all about his job offer."

"I know you're a good addition to the team, so I'm glad you accepted." Natasha pushed herself off her stool and placed her coffee cup in the dishwasher. "I can set up an untraceable connection to the CIA this afternoon if you need to send some documentation you won't be returning."

"Yeah. Thanks." Sharon felt a little dumbfounded as Natasha walked out of the kitchen. She glanced at Clint and Scott, still arguing in the next room. Wanda and Sam were visible through the window in the front yard, practicing some kind of martial art. Steve was watching them, offering pointers to both every now and then.

Sharon picked up her coffee and nodded to the two men in the living room as she passed, receiving waves in return. It was warm and pleasant outside, with a bright sun and a fresh breeze. Steve noticed her first as she stood on the porch. "Care to join in?"

"Just give me a few minutes," she called back, holding up her cup. He nodded and turned to laugh at and offer a hand to Sam, who had just been dumped on the grass by Wanda, using only her newly acquired hand to hand skills.

Sharon settled down with her triple espresso, finally feeling like part of the team.

The End.

A/n: Thanks to all for reading and reviewing. Hope this was a satisfying resolution for Steve and Natasha while keeping Sharon a positive character.


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